Currently used wafer-handling robots used in the manufacturing industry utilize a pick, place and retract functionality. There have been multiple instances in which a robot blade breaks with/without a wafer on it when an object obstructs the movement of the robot blade. For example, if slit doors to a chamber do not open fully during wafer transfer into the chamber or a front opening unified pod (FOUP) having a double-slot wafer issue, or even an employee who may be located directly in the path of the moving robot, there is nothing preventing the robot from extending and causing damage or injury, as well as self-breakage of the robot blade.